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☆ Plus-Size Menswear Is Hard to Find. One Man Wants to Change That.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fashion designer Ed Mendoza has a straightforward goal for his budding brand: He just wants to make clothes for men that look like him. “I want to make stuff that fits me, that I don’t feel like is out there as a plus-sized person,” said Mr. Mendoza, 30, a recent graduate of the prestigious graduate fashion-design program at London’s Central Saint Martins.

☆ DeSantis goes to Washington, a place he once despised, looking for support to take on Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hours ahead of his meeting with congressional Republicans, Florida Rep. John Rutherford endorsed Trump, making him the sixth House Republican to back the former president over their home state governor. Rutherford’s announcement comes after NBC reported last week that DeSantis’ political operation was scrambling to convince Florida Republicans not to endorse until after he had formally decided to run. A spokesman for DeSantis’ political operation did not return a call or email. But by plucking support from within DeSantis’ backyard, Trump has created the impression that even Republicans close to DeSantis may be having second thoughts about his performance. Roy was among the first to back DeSantis, calling him “a man of conviction” who “unequivocally has made Florida stronger and freer.”

☆ Microsoft Could Inflate Google’s Mobile Search Toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Microsoft may or may not take much internet-search market share from Google, but the cost of holding on to that lucrative business is heading higher regardless. This has been apparent since early February when Microsoft lifted the wraps on a new Bing search engine powered by generative artificial-intelligence technology. Microsoft effectively declared its goal of finally becoming a major player in the business that generates more than $224 billion a year in advertising revenue for Google.

☆ Haaland at it again as Manchester City cut gap to Arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland reached yet another milestone in his incredible debut season in the Premier League when his two goals helped his side to beat Leicester City 3-1 and move to within three points of leaders Arsenal on Saturday. With Arsenal in action at West Ham United on Sunday, Manchester City seized their chance to apply more pressure by dismantling 19th-placed Leicester before halftime. City now have 70 points from 30 games with Arsenal on 73. Villa have 50 points, with Tottenham on 53 and fourth-placed Manchester United and Newcastle United both on 56. Newcastle and Manchester United, who face Nottingham Forest on Sunday, have played fewer games than Villa and Tottenham.

☆ Republicans in battleground states sidestep endorsing Trump as they eye 2024 Senate bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans weighing 2024 Senate bids in key states haven't settled on Donald Trump for 2024. "As Senate Republican's primary dynamics get messier by the day, Senate GOP candidates are in a lose-lose situation when it comes to Trump," said Nora Keefe, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Representatives for the three GOP prospects and the Senate GOP campaign arm either did not elaborate or respond when asked for comment. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a potential Senate candidate in another battleground state, Wisconsin, has repeatedly said he would not support Trump since the Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in the January 6 insurrection. I stand by what I said," he said during an Axios forum when asked if he would support Trump if he becomes the nominee.

☆ The fallout from empty offices is coming. Here's where investors could see the pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

As concerns about regional banks roiled markets, investors weighed another threat: commercial real estate. Also, layered on top of the property value pressure, are the tightening credit conditions brought on by the recent turmoil in the banking sector. There is no doubt this scenario is a toxic mix for the capital-intensive real estate industry. At the moment, many experts say the real estate market isn't causing trouble for banks, but fears about the financial system are likely worsening conditions in real estate because liquidity is being reduced. The biggest concern is seeing how many other companies join Brookfield , Blackstone and Pimco in handing back the keys on office properties, Clancy said.

☆ Warner’s HBO Demotion Will Bring Some Severance Costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/warners-hbo-demotion-will-bring-some-severance-costs-a56588f2

☆ Analysis: No China, no deal: Bid to break sovereign debt logjams gets weary thumbs up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Libgeorge Marc Jones | Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - The latest bid by the world's leading institutions and creditors to speed up debt restructurings and get bankrupt countries back on their feet has been greeted by a mix of cautious optimism and weary scepticism by veteran crisis watchers. The somewhat loose framework around sovereign restructurings has seen Beijing seek to influence the traditional rules of engagement in these processes. The Common Framework platform introduced by leading G20 nations in 2020 aimed to bring all creditors, including China, together and streamline negotiations. Anna Ashton, director of China research at Eurasia Group, said this week’s developments underscored the benefits for China to give some ground on some of its concerns. "China is a difficult partner to talk to but we need China at the table for the solution of debt problems, because otherwise we won't see any progress," Lindner said.

☆ Amazon’s Roomba Deal Keeps Getting Messier
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ No China, no deal: Bid to break sovereign debt logjams gets weary thumbs up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Libgeorge Marc Jones | Marc Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

☆ People Can't Get Ozempic, New Weight-Loss Drugs Because of Broken Healthcare System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Wegovy is just one of a wave of revolutionary weight-loss drugs, which also includes the buzzy Ozempic, that represents a watershed moment for obesity treatment. Demand for weight-loss drugs is surgingDoctors and healthcare professionals searched for a healthy, safe, and effective weight-loss solution for years before the drugs, known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, exploded on the scene. If there is one key that could unlock access to expensive weight-loss drugs for Americans, it's Medicare. Expanding coverage for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs for just a small segment of the population could cost Medicare up to $26.8 billion a year. Patients lose outYears from now, patients may have an easier time getting their hands on weight-loss drugs.

☆ U.S. China committee chair says there's broad support to block American asset managers from investing in Chinese A.I. firms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Gallagher told CNBC in a phone interview Tuesday that there was "broad support" among the venture capitalists, and others the committee members met with in California, for barring American asset managers from investing in Chinese AI companies. That's good news in his eyes as he described the AI race between the U.S. and China as neck and neck. He added that American tech companies competing with Chinese firms "don't want us to sort of subsidize their losing the AI race." Gallagher said he believes business leaders now understand that "the behavior of the Chinese Communist Party has changed." And I think the way we've conducted our committee so far, it hasn't been a bomb-throwing exercise.

☆ Michael Jordan’s Signed Air Jordan Sneakers Set $2.2 Million Record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/michael-jordan-sneaker-million-auction-records-sothebys-air-jordans-f99f4b15

☆ The Man Who Brings Vintage T-Shirts Back From the Dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jacob Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ New Normal for PCs Looks Worse Than the Old One
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-normal-for-pcs-looks-worse-than-the-old-one-deb0ca1e

REUTERS/Florence LoWASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The leader of a U.S. congressional committee on China said on Monday he was concerned about electric carmaker Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) dependency on China, a day after the company revealed plans to open a Megapack battery factory in Shanghai. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the House of Representatives' select committee on China's Communist Party, said he would like to know how Tesla's CEO Elon Musk balances U.S. government support for Tesla and its operations in China. "I'm concerned about this," Gallagher told Reuters when asked about the battery factory. "Tesla seems entirely dependent, A, on the largesse of the federal government via tax breaks, and B, upon access to the Chinese market," Gallagher said. Tesla generated $18.15 billion in revenue from China last year, accounting for over one fifth of its total revenue.

☆ The Video Streaming Numbers Game Is Shifting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Warner has scheduled an event for this week to introduce an offering that will combine its HBO Max and Discovery+ services onto a single platform. Once it seemed there was never anything good on TV. Streaming has only solved part of the problem. Viewers certainly are awash in content: According to Reelgood, which aggregates data from streaming platforms, subscribers can currently choose from a total of 36,674 TV shows and movies among the nine largest subscription-based streaming services, at any time day or night. But quantity doesn’t mean quality; only 46% of those shows and movies are considered quality or high-quality offerings based on their IMDb viewer scores, according to Reelgood’s data.

☆ Elon Musk reveals plans for a new factory making Megapacks on Shanghai visit, while Apple mulls 'decoupling' from China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk announced plans Sunday for a new battery factory in Shanghai during a visit there. Rep. Mike Gallagher met with Apple CEO Tim Cook earlier this month to discuss ties with China. While the Tesla CEO is continuing to invest in China, other companies may be looking at ways to distance themselves. Gallagher told Bloomberg that he didn't expect companies to sever all ties with China. Tesla, Apple, and Gallagher didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

☆ CrowdStrike Takes Big Swing at Microsoft
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

George Kurtz, chief executive officer of CrowdStrike Inc., said Microsoft uses the same model as rivals, which he described as a failure. Give CrowdStrike credit at least for trying to punch up. The provider of cloud-based cybersecurity software has been one of the hottest names in the space, and for good reason. Revenue growth has averaged 67% annually over the last three years—well above the 45% average growth over that time shown by other cloud-software companies generating at least $2 billion in annual revenue. Still, CrowdStrike’s annual revenue is about what Microsoft Corp. generates in sales every four days, and the tech giant has recently locked its gaze on CrowdStrike’s end of the security market with offerings such as its Defender software.

☆ Half a trillion in debt haircuts essential for sustainability - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The haircuts on debt owed to public and private creditors by 61 of the nations that are already in or are at most risk of debt distress are essential to avoid "cascading defaults," according to calculations from the Boston University Global Development Policy Center and the Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery (DRGR) Project. "Without ambitious debt relief, many of the poorest countries don't have a chance," said Kevin P. Gallagher, DRGR project co-chair and director of the Boston University Global Development Policy Center. Reuters GraphicsThe researchers found that some $812 billion in debt across all creditor classes should be in scope for restructuring. To achieve the best outcome, researchers proposed to include instruments that had alleviated previous emerging market debt crises. Ratings agency Fitch said there are currently a record number of sovereign debt defaults, while the International Monetary Fund said 25% of emerging markets and 60% of low-income countries are in or near debt distress.

☆ In hard times, Corporate America looks out for its CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

See here: Recent filings illustrate the way CEOs are still lavishly compensated even when massive screw-ups happen on their watch. A Southwest representative told CNN that the December cancellations did factor into the bonuses paid out to employees. The boards that make decisions on CEO pay are usually stacked with executives or former executives from other companies who benefit from the system. Often, CEOs of distressed companies — rather than seeing pay cut — receive so-called retention bonuses to encourage leaders not to flee the sinking ship. “When all the numbers are crunched, 2022 is going to be a flat year for CEO pay,” said Reda.

☆ This former Trump White House official says Republicans are 'such nerds' for pushing a 'ridiculous' ban on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But John McEntee, a former Trump White House official, thinks that's "ridiculous." But John McEntee, who worked as a top White House staffer when former President Donald Trump attempted to ban the app via executive order, says he's unabashedly "pro-TikTok" and insists the push from the right to ban the Chinese-owned app is "ridiculous." "I think Republicans are such nerds for even doing this," McEntee, the one-time Director of the Official of Presidential Personnel, told Insider in an interview on Thursday. In that job, he reportedly scrutinized White House staffers for their perceived loyalty and played a significant role in the effort to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results on January 6, 2021. In one widely-viewed TikTok, McEntee dances to Demi Lovato's "La La Land" while riffing on liberals attending their first protest, making hand-horns as Lovato sings the phrase "converse with my dress."

☆ Tech’s Year of Efficiency Already Priced In
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Meta has announced plans to let go over 20,000 employees since November. Tech investors may be counting their pink slips before they are sent. Many tech companies have spent the first part of the year laying off workers by the thousands, or at least announcing plans to do so. Announced job cuts among major tech companies during the first quarter totaled 219,569 positions, according to tech job tracker site TrueUp. That follows announced cuts totaling 115,860 jobs during the fourth quarter, when Twitter and Facebook-parent Meta Platforms kicked off the layoff wave.

☆ Tim Cook and Bob Iger to meet with House China committee members
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

L to R: Microsoft President Brad Smith, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Disney CEO Bob Iger. Lawmakers will also dine with entertainment producers and screenwriters who have been critical of the industry’s approach to wooing Chinese viewers, the source said. On Friday, lawmakers will have conversations with former Defense Secretary James Mattis as well as Apple CEO Tim Cook. China is Apple’s third-largest geographic business segment after the Americas and Europe, accounting for more than $74 billion in company revenues last year. “This committee was set up to build out the bipartisan consensus on the CCP and the actions we need to take to defend ourselves,” the source said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington called self-ruled Taiwan "an inalienable part of China" and said the one-China principle was an "overwhelming trend" internationally. When Taiwan temporarily averted a split with Honduras after President Xiomara Castro took office in January 2022, U.S. State Department officials remained wary. The Biden administration is also keeping a close eye on tiny Belize for any cracks in its Taiwan relationship. Two U.S. officials said Washington was putting less stock in Taiwan maintaining its diplomatic allies in favor of efforts to increase its participation in international organizations. While denied a seat in the United Nations, Taiwan is a member of the WTO and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

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